EffortlessHR Bloghttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog
A comprehensive human resources blog with a focus on small business labor laws and employee issues.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 15:20:30 +0000en-UShourly1EffortlesshrBloghttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily RotationInnovative ideas to drive employee engagementhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/innovative-ideas-drive-employee-engagement/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/innovative-ideas-drive-employee-engagement/#commentsTue, 18 Nov 2014 13:00:34 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=1008Employee engagement is important for business results. Turnover has high costs in recruiting and training new employees, and by improving engagement, you can reduce employee turnover. Also, various studies have shown that engaged employees are more productive, produce higher quality work, and provide better customer service. Here are some innovative ways that you can boost [...]

]]>Employee engagement is important for business results. Turnover has high costs in recruiting and training new employees, and by improving engagement, you can reduce employee turnover. Also, various studies have shown that engaged employees are more productive, produce higher quality work, and provide better customer service. Here are some innovative ways that you can boost your employee engagement.

Listen to employee suggestions Get employees involved more with the company by soliciting their ideas and suggestions. Often, employees may have great ideas about how your company could improve certain things, which management has never thought of. Knowing that their opinions are valued makes people feel more engaged. Make sure that you act on some of the suggestions, too, and then employees will feel a greater sense of ownership. Listening to employees additionally proves you’re a good boss. Support them, welcome their ideas and try not to be judge them for their mistakes. Rather than start screaming and shouting, why don’t you provide constructive criticism?

Align employee and business goals Employees want to feel that their efforts make a difference to a company, and one thing that can help in this regard is tying employee goals to larger departmental and business goals. Make sure each employee knows how his or her job responsibilities matter to the rest of the company, and are important to the overall organization’s success.Welcome their ideas, persuade them to speak their minds, and set up weekly workshops and seminars to keep them engaged. Settle on goals together, split tasks evenly and prove them that you’re the leader they want to become someday.

Provide flexibility and authority Don’t micromanage everything that your employees do. Make them accountable for their own results, and then give them the flexibility and authority to achieve results in their own way. Make sure they have everything they need to be successful. Managers can provide support and some level of oversight, without controlling all the details of the job. There are ways for entrepreneurs to be authoritative without sounding too demanding. Your employees need a good leader, they need someone who can teach them; however, it also a good idea to show them your humane side, too. Take them out for dinner once a month, connect with them, talk about trivial things that are not related to work, and they’ll certainly be more engaged.

Recognize a job well done Recognition doesn’t have to cost anything, yet it makes employees feel much happier about their job, and it fosters a culture where people want to do their best. Take every opportunity to recognize employees who have done a superior quality job, delighted a customer, gone above and beyond to meet a deadline, or delivered outstanding results. You don’t need to wait for a special occasion – you can provide recognition every day.

Identify a career path Have managers work with each employee in the company, to identify a career path within the company, and create a development plan that can move employees forward. Talk to employees about what they want to do with their careers, and provide them with the tools, training, mentoring, and opportunities to move ahead. Not only will they be more likely to stay with your company rather than switching jobs for career advancement, but they will also feel more like the company cares about them and their future.

Encourage manager mentoring A person’s relationship with their direct manager has an enormous impact on how satisfied they are with their job, how productive they are, and their level of engagement. When managers can establish a relationship with each employee, making people feel that they care about them, it creates a more trusting and positive work environment. Having managers take on a mentoring role with employees helps to build that relationship, and it also helps employees to perform at their best possible level. An organization that thrives for success should know that employee engagement is priceless. When workers are happy with their jobs, a company’s productivity increases. Managers are happy, HR is happy and that business has great chances for success. When was the last time you told your employees how valuable they are? Maybe now it would be the time to say that again, just to lift up their spirit and make them feel respected. By Steve Brown and Peopleinsight.co.uk!

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/innovative-ideas-drive-employee-engagement/feed/1Top Tips to Securing the Right Employeehttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/top-tips-securing-employee/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/top-tips-securing-employee/#commentsMon, 27 Oct 2014 13:00:21 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=1004Finding reliable and hardworking employees isn’t as easy as it seems. Whether you are a small business owner or a part of a human resources division, finding the right candidate to fill a position requires skill and endless hours of going through resumes. In most cases, the recruitment process doesn’t result in the ideal candidate [...]

]]>Finding reliable and hardworking employees isn’t as easy as it seems. Whether you are a small business owner or a part of a human resources division, finding the right candidate to fill a position requires skill and endless hours of going through resumes. In most cases, the recruitment process doesn’t result in the ideal candidate you are looking for to fill the job position. You shouldn’t need to settle for less than what you are looking for in an employee. Fortunately, there are a number of useful tactics that you can incorporate into the recruitment process to secure the employee that you deserve.

The Checklist

According to About Money, the first step to securing the employee that you are looking for is to develop a checklist. Your checklist should include a few basic components such as developing a job specification, a job description, and a job analysis. Once you have those elements down, speak with individuals that will oversee the employee and make sure that you each agree upon the qualities that the employee should have. For example, you should discuss the level of education that the employee is expected to have, what types of personal characteristics that you are looking for, and if experience in a certain field is relevant to the position. Once those elements are determined, you can tweak the job specification and description accordingly.

Reviewing the Seven C’s

The greatest recruitment officers and employers follow a system. According to Forbes, the system is known as the seven C’s and it identifies seven very important characteristics that every employee should have. These characteristics are competence, capability, character, culture, compensation, commitment, and compatibility. For example, you want to choose an individual that fits into your corporate culture and that is compatible with the other employees in your office. Without these characteristics, you put yourself at risk of losing an employee early and creating tension in your office.

The Candidate Pool

Once you and managers have determined what type of individual you are looking for, the next step is to develop a candidate pool. For the best results, it is often ideal to extensively advertise the position. Advertising can done on the company’s website, through LinkedIn, and on job boards. To best facilitate a strong candidate pool, Ochre Recruitment suggests that if you are going to use a third party, it is ideal to ensure that the third party understands your company’s needs and what type of candidate the company is looking for. A recruitment firm that understands the basics will be able to ensure that only the best candidates are forwarded for an interview.

The Interview

These days, you need more than the traditional interview to secure the right job candidate. While the traditional method should still be used, there are additional steps that can truly help you figure out which candidate is the best for the position. These methods include developing a test, requesting samples of past work, and creating a role-play simulation. After the interview, have each interviewer fill out a post-interview assessment so the hiring group can evaluate how the candidate performed according to individual expectations.

Finding the right job candidate is never easy. However, with the above recommendations, you can make your next search much easier. The above tips enable you ensure that you’re hiring the candidate that you and other managers in the company are looking for. Just don’t forget to follow the seven C’s and incorporate a detailed plan into the search. Keep yourself and everyone else informed of the process is a sure way to success.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/top-tips-securing-employee/feed/0Four Smart HR Recruitment Strategieshttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/smart-hr-recruitment-strategies/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/smart-hr-recruitment-strategies/#commentsMon, 20 Oct 2014 13:00:04 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=1001In today’s competitive business environment, success depends on many factors, but most executives would agree that staffing is the most crucial piece to the puzzle. That’s why a smart recruitment strategy is essential to any organization. Just a decade or two ago, HR recruiters relied on classified advertising to reach potential employees, but finding the [...]

]]>In today’s competitive business environment, success depends on many factors, but most executives would agree that staffing is the most crucial piece to the puzzle. That’s why a smart recruitment strategy is essential to any organization.

Just a decade or two ago, HR recruiters relied on classified advertising to reach potential employees, but finding the best candidates now takes a combination of techniques. Here, we’ll discuss four of the top strategies HR recruiters can leverage for more successful outcomes.

Social Media Strategy

Social media recruiting is a great way to find new employees. Millions of business professionals use social media networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ every day, and HR recruiters should, too. Try these social media recruiting strategies:

Twitter hashtags: It’s important to use the right hashtag, so people searching for work in your industry will find your job listing. Be specific: use the geographic area and a short job title to stand out from other job listings.

Google+ Communities: Find people in your industry through Google+ Communities. Click on the “Members” link to access all members’ profiles.

Mobile Strategy

The world is moving to mobile. Millions of individuals get their news, buy products and connect with others through mobile devices. And increasingly, they use mobile to apply for jobs. It only makes sense that recruitment strategies should go mobile, too.

The goal of a mobile recruitment strategy is to make it easy for candidates to learn about your company and its culture, search job listings and apply for open positions through their smartphone or tablet.

A positive mobile experience can enhance your company’s brand and result in more applications, because you’re making it convenient for candidates to connect any time, from anywhere. And, it’s likely your ideal candidates will expect a mobile-friendly interface when researching your company and applying for a position.

Employee Referral Strategy

Word of mouth is still a powerful recruitment strategy with many benefits. Employee referral strategies leverage existing employees’ social and professional networks to provide a substantial pool of potential candidates. Referrals are often high-quality candidates, who tend to stay longer due to established social connections. In addition, referral programs can boost morale, decrease turnover and improve the bottom line.

Employees usually know exactly what skills are needed and the type of personalities that work best in the organization. Motivating them to help with the recruiting process can boost the organization’s reputation and build employee loyalty. Here are three important steps to follow:

Incentivize: Cash bonuses are the most common form of reward for referrals. Whether it’s $100 or $1000, it should be fair to the employee – after all, they are spending their own time, while saving the company money.

Communicate: Word of mouth doesn’t work if no one is aware of it. Make sure all employees know about the referral program and how it works. Follow-up is extremely important, as employees are less likely to refer additional candidates if they never hear the results of previous referrals.

Measure: Set goals and create metrics to determine the success of the program. You might track number of referrals by year or per employee, as well as longevity and performance.

Work-Life Balance Strategy

Our fourth HR recruitment strategy has also been shown to improve morale: a strong work-life balance. Companies that promote a positive work-life balance have lower turnover and recruiting costs, and higher productivity from happier employees. Here are a few tactics to try:

Give time off: Employees need time away from the job, but don’t typically get enough. Vacations give people a chance to rest, turn off “work mode” and come back rejuvenated. Paid sick time keeps everyone healthier by allowing workers to stay home when they’re not well.

Support parents: Raising children while pursuing a career is tough. Employees with children who feel supported by their employers tend to be appreciative and more loyal. Options like on-site day care or job sharing can go a long way to relieving stress and allowing staffers to focus on their work.

Offer flexible schedules: Employees with flexible schedules are more productive. Having time to run personal errands, pick kids up from school or attend college classes is highly valued. Similarly, workers who telecommute from home are also highly productive. Employers who offer this option will benefit with happier employees, lower turnover, higher productivity and a great reputation.

Try these four HR recruitment strategies and you just might experience more hiring success, along with better morale and a stronger bottom line!

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/smart-hr-recruitment-strategies/feed/05 Ways For Employees to Trust One Anotherhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/5-ways-employees-trust-one-another/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/5-ways-employees-trust-one-another/#commentsMon, 15 Sep 2014 12:00:58 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=997No matter the industry a business is operating in, an efficient and effective workplace involves having employees who trust one another. Trust helps to boost productivity levels, enhances exceptional customer service, and provides a workplace where employees enjoy working. Trust is not instantaneously established among workers, so it is important for managers to create this [...]

]]>No matter the industry a business is operating in, an efficient and effective workplace involves having employees who trust one another. Trust helps to boost productivity levels, enhances exceptional customer service, and provides a workplace where employees enjoy working. Trust is not instantaneously established among workers, so it is important for managers to create this atmosphere.

5. Create and enforce rules and standards

Your employees will have a hard time trusting one another if there are no rules to follow. No one will know what to expect from one day to the next, and not only does this hinder trust, but it also lessens productivity. When you create rules and standards, don’t make them so strict that no one enjoys coming to work, but simple common sense rules need to be enforced, such as:

Stealing, etc. from employer or other employees will result in immediate termination

No “water cooler gossip” about co-workers will be tolerated

Everyone is responsible for their own workload, and, barring an emergency, each employee needs to consistently show up for work or provide a valid excuse.

4. Encourage attainable goals

Employees will find it is easier to trust one another when being realistic is a top priority. For example, a team project at a local manufacturing company is being carried and there is a two-day deadline. If this isn’t feasible, then all team members need to be realistic, and come up with an extended due date. If workers are constantly expected to meet deadlines that aren’t realistic, hostility towards each other and those in charge will foster. Unrealistic promises, just the same as unrealistic deadlines, make trusting one another difficult.

3. Implement effective forms of communication

If your workers don’t have effective forms of communication to take advantage of, both general and important messages won’t be properly delivered. Even the simplest of a message when not delivered to the right person at the right time can harm the level of trust in the workplace.

For example: your company carries out research studies, and Bob tells Sue to tell Bill that his assignment deadline has been moved up two days, but Sue fails to do so. Bill doesn’t ever get the information, so Bob becomes angry with him, and when they realize what happened, both now have difficulty trusting Sue. This could have been avoided by Bob simply telling Bill himself, be it through email, a message on his cell or work phone, or another pre-agreed upon method of communication.

2. Tell workers to follow up on all tasks and projects

No matter the work being carried out, your employees will find they trust one another more when assigned tasks are followed up on. Within reports, all of the employees involved with a particular project should provide their honest opinion on what could have been done to make the project simpler and more effective. An open and honest work environment can significantly increase employee trust between one another. It can also boost productivity. In fact, 69 percent of workers said they would work harder if they felt more appreciated, and this includes feeling more appreciated for each project that they carry out.

1. Be upfront and don’t spin the truth

You should always be upfront and professional with other employees. Even if you’re the low man on the totem pole at a local veterinarian office, being honest and upfront is key to building a workplace that boasts trust. Your coworkers can tell if you’re lying or spinning the truth, and when this happens, office gossip about you will start to get out of control. In the end, you have a workplace that’s full of drama and completely void of trust between anyone, not to mention you may find yourself out of a job.

Author Bio:

Sandra Mills is a freelance health and career writer. She often writes about practical ways that people can advance their careers and live happier lives.

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]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/5-ways-employees-trust-one-another/feed/2Employee engagement – is it becoming a concept to rethink?http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/employee-engagement-concept-rethink/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/employee-engagement-concept-rethink/#commentsMon, 08 Sep 2014 12:00:38 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=995Employee engagement is a big topic these days, as companies recognize what this can mean to their productivity and performance. A 2014 survey reported that 78 percent of executives surveyed rated engagement as an important or urgent issue. Research has shown that engaged employees are more productive, provide better customer service, and stay in their [...]

]]>Employee engagement is a big topic these days, as companies recognize what this can mean to their productivity and performance. A 2014 survey reported that 78 percent of executives surveyed rated engagement as an important or urgent issue. Research has shown that engaged employees are more productive, provide better customer service, and stay in their jobs longer. Employee engagement is moving from an annual survey, to an on-going business concern.

Are your people engaged? Do you think they’ll keep working for you 5 years from now? Every now and then, organizations should rethink the way they treat their staff. Surveys are an excellent way of finding out if your company’s production goals are being met or not. Of course, there are others ways to boost engagement, too.

The traditional view of engagement

The concept of employee engagement was originated in 1800s. An early industrial engineer did a study on how employees’ attitudes could impact their productivity. A few decades ago, Gallup started doing engagement surveys to measure this and report the results. Today, there are many different surveys and tools, from a plethora of suppliers, all of which are designed to help determine the level of engagement at your company.

Typically these surveys are done annually. Though it can be useful, it is limited because it isn’t updated often enough. Engagement can be affected by many work-related issues that come up all the time. A new generation of tools to build engagement is emerging. These focus on creating an “irresistible organization.”

Look at Google who’s reshaping the work place. People are allowed to chat, interact, and play games during breaks; the traditional office space is completely changed – no more cubicles, no more monotony, and no more routine. Companies are finally starting to understand that the key to success has one name – teamwork.

Reasons for disengagement

Creating a high performance environment where employees feel engaged is not a simple task. There are many factors in play at any time. The reasons people are disengaged can be varied.

The old view was that most employees left a company because of their direct manager. New research shows that it is usually a combination of their management as well as organizational factors that drives a person to quit.

When a company is going through a transition, there can be uncertainty and doubt among employees that leads to disengagement. When people feel that the demands on them are too high, and that they are not adequately compensated or rewarded, it can spark disengagement.

Employees may lack engagement because they perceive no interest in developing their skills, or no career path for them at the company. If working conditions are unpleasant or difficult, this can also lead to dissatisfaction and disengagement.

Engaged vs. committed

The term engagement can give us a limited view. It implies that we just need to grab people and engage their attention. Instead, what companies really need to do is to build organizations where work is meaningful, exciting and fun. The goal isn’t just to get employees to be engaged with their work, but to make them fully committed to their job and the organization.

Rather than just conducting an engagement survey, achieving this level of total commitment can require some serious changes. Some companies are even redefining their mission. For instance, pharmaceutical companies are shifting their identity from being a “drug company” to being a “health and wellness company.” Employees can feel better aligned with the company, and that’s what you need to get them committed to the organization’s success.

Other companies are looking at redesigning jobs, updating the work environment, changing the performance appraisal system, investing more in employee development, or adding new benefits. All of these help to drive engagement and commitment, and all of them go far beyond the traditional annual survey.

Companies should redefine their viewpoint on employees. Rather than see them as “hired hands” they should want to “engage” them. Organizations must understand their workers if they want to retain them for extended periods of time. People are the essence of services and products. In order to boost employee engagement, your company should want to attract, entice and allure with great strategies and well-thought leadership.

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]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/employee-engagement-concept-rethink/feed/1FMLA – Not Just Coverage for Pregnancyhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/fmla-coverage-pregnancy/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/fmla-coverage-pregnancy/#commentsFri, 29 Aug 2014 16:08:48 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=992Many business owners think of FMLA only when an employee is ready to go out on maternity leave or if an employee is facing a catastrophic illness such as cancer. FMLA also covers migraine headaches, back pain, influenza – and other illnesses that are considered to be “chronic or a serious health condition”. Employers and [...]

]]>Many business owners think of FMLA only when an employee is ready to go out on maternity leave or if an employee is facing a catastrophic illness such as cancer. FMLA also covers migraine headaches, back pain, influenza – and other illnesses that are considered to be “chronic or a serious health condition”.

Employers and their supervisors and managers need to know the “red flags” on what to consider to be a FMLA occurrence and how to manage it.

As a reminder, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave. FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. It also seeks to accommodate the legitimate interests of employers and promote equal employment opportunity for men and women.

FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for any of the following reasons:

1. for the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;
2. for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
3. to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
4. to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Whether an employee has worked the minimum 1,250 hours of service is determined according to FLSA principles for determining compensable hours or work. Time taken off work due to pregnancy complications can be counted against the 12 weeks of family and medical leave. Special rules apply to employees of local education agencies.

Many employers often think of the FMLA as a law that comes into play only when an employee is getting ready to take a maternity leave or when they have a debilitating illness requiring an extended hospital stay. Those are obviously scenarios where the FMLA is implicated, but the act provides much greater coverage. Any chronic condition, such as asthma or diabetes, that requires a continuing course of treatment can trigger FMLA coverage, as can mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety. Those types of health conditions often require intermittent leaves of absence, which many employers find to be particularly disruptive or subject to abuse.

Simplifying Definition of ‘Serious Health Condition’

Another point of confusion for managers is how multifaceted the definition of “serious health condition” is. Try and keep it simple: If the employee or a family member is in the hospital, if the employee misses more than three consecutive days of work, or if the employee has a pattern of being absent for the same health condition or for a family member’s health condition, call HR as soon as possible or consider FMLA.

A frequent complaint from managers is that an employee who calls in sick does not provide sufficient information for the manager to determine whether the absence is FMLA-qualifying. This is particularly true where the employer has an attendance policy that allows employees to leave messages or send e-mails regarding absences. Also, many employees do not wish to disclose specific information about their health, and simply report they are sick and unable to come to work. When this occurs, a manager cannot, for example, discern whether the employee has a simple cold or a full-blown case of influenza.

Managers don’t know how much follow-up information they can seek and don’t always realize they need to involve HR to provide guidance and support to managers faced with vague information about an employee’s repeated or prolonged absences.

It might be prudent for companies to consider adopting a three-day rule—meaning they automatically require eligible employees to provide medical certifications clarifying whether absences due to illness lasting more than three consecutive calendar days are FMLA-qualifying.

As far as simplifying the definition of “serious health condition” for managers, try to focus training on two categories of serious health conditions that seem to be misunderstood the most: chronic serious health conditions and pregnancy. Managers must thoroughly understand that any period of incapacity associated with these two categories of serious health conditions is covered.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/fmla-coverage-pregnancy/feed/0Top 7 Payroll Tips for Business Ownershttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/top-7-payroll-tips-business-owners/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/top-7-payroll-tips-business-owners/#commentsWed, 30 Jul 2014 17:49:39 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=988Payroll is an important aspect of running a business with employees. An efficient and organized process can make payroll less cumbersome and costly. Here are seven simple and effective payroll tips that can benefit every business owner. 1. Get the required information upfront. Make it standard practice to collect the necessary information from employees [...]

]]>Payroll is an important aspect of running a business with employees. An efficient and organized process can make payroll less cumbersome and costly. Here are seven simple and effective payroll tips that can benefit every business owner.

1. Get the required information upfront. Make it standard practice to collect the necessary information from employees and independent contractors, including proof of identification, EIN/social security numbers, and W-4/I-9 tax information, at the start of a working relationship. (If you hire new employees, report the event to the state within 20 days). Though you may not pay an independent contractor enough to necessitate issuing a formal W-2 at the end of the year, having the required information on hand will reduce the scramble when tax season officially begins.

2. Understand the details of correct classification. The rules behind proper and improper classification of employees aren’t easy to interpret, and a simple misunderstanding can present costly fines. For example, though categorizing temporary and seasonal staff as independent contractors may simplify payroll processes, they may not be eligible for that status based on the details of the work arrangement, including work space, insurance or equipment that was provided. If you’re not absolutely certain you understand classification rules, seek the help of an expert.

3. Manage rolling deadlines for payroll taxes. Establish separate financial accounts to ensure a well-documented “paper trail” of withheld paycheck funds related to federal, state, FICA (tax employers must collect for Social Security and Medicare), and FUTA (unemployment taxes). Then, distribute them to the appropriate entities based on the mandated weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual deadlines associated with each type of tax.

4. Go paperless. It’s estimated that issuing one paper check represents a cost of about $3, when factoring for the costs of materials, postage and time. Transitioning payroll to an electronic, paperless payroll system ensures that employees receive paychecks in a timely manner, despite holidays, weekends or extended leave, and reduces the likelihood of fees associated with paper checks, including those for stop payments on lost checks.

5. Automate what you can. There are many low-cost, highly accurate and reliable electronic payroll processing systems geared toward businesses of all sizes, that can expedite the payroll process by eliminating redundant data entry (and the potential for human error). Because many of today’s payroll systems even work with mobile devices, payroll processing can be handled anywhere, at anytime.

6. Make time and attendance self-service. Tracking time and attendance is a time-consuming process for employees and managers. Establish a clear set of policies for how time off is earned and redeemed by investing in an attendance system that allows employees (and those processing payroll) to view time earned to date, time off that has been redeemed, and the amount of paid time left until it either expires or will be included in a paycheck.

7. Pretend you’re being audited. Keep tabs on payroll processes with the mental frame of mind that you are being audited. If audited, a business should have four years’ worth of records including the amounts and dates of wages, payments and tips reported, names, addresses, Social Security/EIN numbers of employees, copies of income tax withholding allowance certificates, dates and amounts of tax deposits filed, and records of “fringe benefits.” If you don’t have all the required documentation an audit requires, make sure you update your records accordingly.

The more streamlined your policies and systems, the easier it becomes to issue, manage and document payroll appropriately. By leveraging the technology tools available to small businesses in tandem with tight internal controls, you’ll ensure that payroll processing is both compliant and cost efficient.

Author Bio:

Amber Blaha is the Vice President of Marketing at Velocity. Velocity Technology Solutions is a global provider of cloud application hosting and business process outsourcing for human capital management (HCM) solutions.

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]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/top-7-payroll-tips-business-owners/feed/1The Importance of Branding In Hiringhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/importance-branding-hiring/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/importance-branding-hiring/#commentsFri, 11 Apr 2014 16:05:04 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=982Companies know they have to maintain a certain level of branding when dealing with consumers – but what about with prospective employees? Company branding is becoming a major element to the hiring process. In an age where social media has personified businesses to a level not experienced before, human resources must understand the company’s image [...]

]]>Companies know they have to maintain a certain level of branding when dealing with consumers – but what about with prospective employees? Company branding is becoming a major element to the hiring process. In an age where social media has personified businesses to a level not experienced before, human resources must understand the company’s image must also correspond to the way it presents itself to candidates.

A Randstad survey from 2013 found an inviting company brand may be the key to attracting talent. It found 20 percent of employees under 30 would rather work at a lower-paying job with a brand they embrace than a position at a less reputable or welcoming company.

So how can employers establish a strong brand? Through many ways: from the literature a company gives to recruiters at conferences and tradeshows, to the applicant interview itself, how a business builds its brand directly contributes to how it builds an ideal workforce.

Begin through alignment
Before putting the brand out there, decision-makers must first think exactly what they want to convey in the hiring process. Often, companies want to highlight the fact they have a track record for success and personal advancement, while others may play up their small startup personality and put the spotlight on a quirky company personality and laid-back atmosphere. Whatever brand your company wants to push, it needs to align with the company mission and long-term plans.

That cohesive mindset also comes into play when ensuring there’s a big picture for the brand, with standards for representation. Think color schemes, logos and slogans, the font in brochures or even job applications. It all needs to come full circle.

Online strategies
The Internet, the tool that has furthered outward branding efforts the most, can also be used to establish company identity for internal purposes. Particularly, online job boards where companies can utilize forums to a social media-like extent provide a fostering environment for branding. Companies can engage with industry-leading talent and converse with other players, all while emitting a brand that the company and its recruiters feels best portrays them, and best attracts top-level workers.

There a number of ways to further a particular brand, including posting videos that highlight employee achievements or offering a peek inside the boardroom. Sharing content and responding in kind are all techniques to executing a well-rounded branding initiative.

Highlight atmosphere
The first physical impression a candidate gets of a hirer is when they come in for the interview. From the reception area to the conference rooms and the layout of the office and the people that populate it – each aspect is central to an employer brand. Researchers at Randstad found that a pleasant workplace was listed behind only salary and job security as major factors in deciding where to work.

To survive in the business climate where brand is as important as profits, HR professionals and recruiters need to engage in serious cultivation of a company image. To do so will sufficiently prepare them to thrive in hiring initiatives to uncover the best talent.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/importance-branding-hiring/feed/10Keys to Attracting Top Talenthttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/keys-attracting-top-talent/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/keys-attracting-top-talent/#commentsTue, 14 Jan 2014 13:00:55 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=977The current job market is saturated with highly qualified individuals, and the most qualified job seekers are looking for much more than just a paycheck in their search for employment. In order to attract the best candidates, you should have certain measures in place in your recruiting and hiring processes. What do the top talents [...]

]]>The current job market is saturated with highly qualified individuals, and the most qualified job seekers are looking for much more than just a paycheck in their search for employment. In order to attract the best candidates, you should have certain measures in place in your recruiting and hiring processes. What do the top talents in your industry look for? How can you attract them? Here’s a look.

The Employer of Choice

You can start by approaching talent acquisition and recruitment from the perspective of branding. If you position your company as the “employer of choice” to potential employees, you will be able to choose from the best of the best. To do so, you’ll want to describe what differentiates your company from others. For example, sell yourself by accurately reflecting your reputation in the marketplace, your practices and the benefits of being with your company. Sell the most attractive aspects of your company and/or operation.

Some of the best ways to differentiate your company in the eyes of job seekers include perks and features of your corporate culture. Whether you offer sign-on bonuses or have a high level of community engagement, these things can be attractive to job applicants. Any community programs, such as volunteering or philanthropic practices, are beneficial and should be clearly identified.

Other benefits that don’t take too high of a financial toll include those of employee engagement. Offering perks such as flex time, the opportunity to telecommute, and convenience services in the workplace are all things that will be attractive to job seekers. Additionally, succession planning and career development advising will go a long way in retaining the top talent that you have. Also consider coaching or mentoring, giving challenging assignments, providing opportunities for lateral career moves, and offering access to trade and professional associations.

Hiring as a Key Business Practice

Now that you’ve clearly outlined why you’re one of the best companies to work for, you should get a lot of applicants. To make sure that you’re bringing in the top talent, as opposed to just any talent, treat hiring as one of your key business practices. At its core, hiring should be valid and reliable, utilizing effective job development and analysis.

Start by outlining your current process. Do you have an effective planning process in place? Do you develop a strategy? Do you conduct discovery and research? Do you have a written recruitment plan? Connecting your opportunities with the job seekers who are most suited is key, and this will get you going in the right direction. Next, audit your recruiting process. There are talent profiles to identify and different ways to reach potential employees in recruiting (email, phone, professional networking).

Lastly, your interview and selection process should get an exhaustive look. In interviewing, your highly qualified candidates will value transparency and may ask you questions about your financial stability and business plans. This is also another opportunity for you to put your “employer of choice” branding strategy in play.

Other ways to attract top talent include a well-designed and regularly maintained careers website and social media strategies (think LinkedIn) — the utilization of all forms of media through these channels add to your brand. With a clear reputation as the top company to work for and a reliable hiring practice, you should be able to effectively find and hire your winning team!

Author Bio:

Erica L. Fener, Ph.D., is Vice President, Business Development Strategy and Analysis at Progressus Therapy, a leading provider of school-based therapy jobs and early intervention careers.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/keys-attracting-top-talent/feed/2Online HR Software – December 2013 Updatehttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/online-hr-software-december-2013-update/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/online-hr-software-december-2013-update/#commentsMon, 02 Dec 2013 13:00:52 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=970It may seem quiet around here, but we’ve been busy working on new enhancements to our web-based human resources management system. The most notable update would be the addition of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). We’ve put a huge amount of effort into creating the easiest to use and most flexible online applicant tracking system [...]

]]>It may seem quiet around here, but we’ve been busy working on new enhancements to our web-based human resources management system. The most notable update would be the addition of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

We’ve put a huge amount of effort into creating the easiest to use and most flexible online applicant tracking system in the market. With our online HR software system, you can create your very own custom online job application. You can then embed a list of current job openings on your own website. When an application is completed, log in to rate & review candidates. Finally, with the press of one button you can hire a candidate and transfer them into your employee management system.

Additional updates were made throughout the system to increase performance and squash some small but annoying bugs. Some styling has also been adjusted to provide a more modern looking interface and continue to work across as many web browsers and devices as possible (pretty much every one).

Going forward, we will continue to improve EffortlessHR with a goal of providing the best online hr software system in the market. We’ll continue our affordable pricing model which is tailored to small and medium sized businesses. Several new features and modules are planned for 2014, so keep checking our blog for updates on that. If you want to receive the latest updates automatically, just subscribe to our blog!

Try out the new features for yourself. If you are not currently an EffortlessHR user, you can always sign up for a risk-free trial at http://www.effortlesshr.com/pricing.php and determine if our system is the best fit for your organization.

Are there any features that you would like to see in an online HRMS or web-based HRIS system? We love to receive feedback and suggestions. Our user’s favorite features exist today based on user suggestions. If you can think of anything, let us know on our EffortlessHR HR Software user feedback forum.

Searches for this article:

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/online-hr-software-december-2013-update/feed/0Three Key Characteristics of a Smart Social Media Policyhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/key-characteristics-smart-social-media-policy/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/key-characteristics-smart-social-media-policy/#commentsFri, 24 May 2013 17:43:14 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=949By Steve Miranda In my 17 years as a senior level HR practitioner, I’ve seen good and bad corporate policies. The only real difference between the two is that good policies are those that employees follow. Social media policies are no exception. But the most effective policies don’t just keep employees in line. They set [...]

In my 17 years as a senior level HR practitioner, I’ve seen good and bad corporate policies. The only real difference between the two is that good policies are those that employees follow. Social media policies are no exception. But the most effective policies don’t just keep employees in line. They set consistent, clear, and common-sense guidelines that free employees to do their jobs better.

Here are three key characteristics that should define your social media policy:

1. It’s Clear

Your employees need to understand why the policy is needed; this doesn’t mean they have to agree with that reason. It’s unrealistic to believe people will automatically support your policies. And telling employees to follow policies “because we say so” is more likely to increase resistance rather than acceptance. Instead, the key is providing context. The best way to increase employee buy-in is to frame policies within a context to which they can relate. For example:

“Because we want to guarantee consistent external messaging by our company, only employees who have received prior training and written permission from the marketing department to blog on behalf of our company are allowed to do so.”

Good policies also are followed because they clearly spell out what’s expected from whom, and in which situations. What’s the scope of the policy, and who are the employees to which it applies? What kinds of social media activities are covered? Does the policy apply to all employees? What about contract staff? The devil is definitely in the details. If employees lack clarity around these issues, they’ll turn to making educated guesses — the very thing you’re trying to eliminate by implementing policies.

2. It’s Consistent

Research shows that our reactions to unfairness are actually hard-wired in the brain. No wonder employees, let alone toddlers, will lash out when they are being treated unfairly. Put bluntly, there’s no better way for companies to create utter disregard for policies and a lack of faith in management than to hold certain employees less accountable than others. For example, you never want to hear this from one of your employees:

“Well, I didn’t think it was a big deal to post that kind of comment on Facebook since I know my boss does it all the time on her personal blog. If she doesn’t have to get approval to do that, then why do I?”

This is why it’s critical that policies be applied consistently across all employee levels, geographic locations and functions. A lack of consistency can quickly lead to rogue behaviors. The only exception is when certain policies must be followed by specific subsets of employees due to legal or regulatory requirements. In this case, make sure all employees know who the policy applies to, and why it only applies to those people.

3. It’s Useful

Useful policies free employees to perform effectively by lowering their odds of making missteps. Your employees are some of your best brand ambassadors on social media. But if they don’t know what’s acceptable, they may shy away from this role for fear of hurting their careers due to an honest mistake. Similarly, companies that have invested significant resources in social media for collaboration and innovation will see a much larger return on that investment if employees are not afraid to use these tools.

Dealing with the “grey zone” of day-to-day operations is often the role of the line manager who is repeatedly called upon to answer questions for areas where written policies do and do not exist. But having clearly documented and easily accessible policies — especially for fast-moving issues like social media — will save both supervisor and subordinate from ever having to utter that age-old expression of horror, “If only I had known!”

Steve Miranda is Managing Director of Cornell University’s Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS), a leading partnership between industry and academia devoted to the field of global human resource management. He is also a faculty author of the new eCornell certificate program,Social Media in HR: From Policy to Practice. Prior to CAHRS, Miranda was Chief Human Resource and Strategic Planning Officer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest professional HR association, serving over 260,000 members in over 100 countries. He is also a former HR executive at Lucent Technologies where his work took him around the world, including a three and a half year assignment as head of HR for the company’s Asia-Pacific operations. Please check him out at http://info.ecornell.com/HRSocialMedia.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/key-characteristics-smart-social-media-policy/feed/4Avoiding the 7 Big Team-Building Blundershttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/avoiding-7-big-teambuilding-blunders/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/avoiding-7-big-teambuilding-blunders/#commentsMon, 22 Apr 2013 14:41:04 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=943“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” Everyone’s heard that expression. And we’re all familiar with what it means: An effective team can accomplish more as a whole than its individual members can accomplish on their own. The key word here is effective. Building an effective, high-performing team requires more than simply [...]

]]>“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” Everyone’s heard that expression. And we’re all familiar with what it means: An effective team can accomplish more as a whole than its individual members can accomplish on their own.

The key word here is effective. Building an effective, high-performing team requires more than simply throwing a group of outstanding individuals into a room and telling them they can’t come out until they have a solution. And maintaining an effective team requires planning, communication and decision-making. Assess individual strengths and weaknesses, build support, establish the conditions for effectiveness, agree on your goals—and you’re on the road to building a championship team. But lead with your emotions, shy away from hard decisions, have faith that the process will “work itself out,” populate your team with your personal favorites—and don’t be surprised if your outstanding individuals fail to harness their collective talent. We see it in sports all the time. And it happens in business just as often.

And, you too can build and manage a high-performing team by avoiding these seven team-building blunders:

1. Failure to build support for the team with the right people at the right levels

Building Buy In – an investment you can’t afford NOT to make

We’ve seen many cases in which an employee is assigned to a team even though his or her regular manager doesn’t know the team’s goals or the time commitment required of the employee. This can be confusing to managers who aren’t on the team but whose direct reports may be. It can create an antagonistic atmosphere in which managers undermine a team’s efforts!

To avoid this blunder:

Ensure that information flows in both directions between the team members and their managers.

Keep in mind that participating on a cross-functional team can take time and focus away from the team members’ day-to-day jobs. This can lead to the perception among managers that they are losing control of their people.

Most teams need time, budget, tools and support to be successful. If the infrastructure is not available, productivity can be affected. If you need to secure resources needed by the team, you can help remove barriers by promoting the team’s interests with key stakeholders. Let them know how the team’s success will reflect on the whole organization. Align each manager’s expectations with the strategic importance of the team’s mission.

2. Failure to establish conditions for team effectiveness

When building a team – skills & experience matter, but so do fit, chemistry & motives.

We’ve seen teams made up of members who don’t know where the team is going or what their individual roles are. How can a team achieve anything when its members don’t know what’s going on?

Of course, you’ll need to select and organize the right people. But that’s not all. Skills and experience matter, but so do fit, chemistry and motives. That’s why, when selecting a team, we advise using the same due diligence you use when you hire a new employee:

Look at performance reviews and check references, not only from managers but from co-workers as well. Understand why applicants want to be part of the team, as well as how being on the team will help them realize their longer-term goals.

We highly recommend that you review psychographic assessments in order to understand team members’ core behaviors and learning styles—and how these behaviors and styles fit with their roles, other team members and yourself.

Look for the right skill sets and the right behaviors. Expertise might not be enough to qualify someone for the team. For example, say your top-performing salesperson is a lone wolf who doesn’t play by the rules and won’t socialize with his peers. Despite his extensive product knowledge, he might not be a good fit. In such a case, you may want to bypass that individual. But you may also want to interview him in order to gain an even better understanding of the product.

Remember:

A high-performing team has a mandate—one that every member should know. After explaining the mandate, give the team an opportunity to process this information. They should feel free to ask for clarity.

These discussions can help shape the mandate. Don’t mistake this for a democratic process, but it certainly should be participatory.

3. Failure to establish a meaningful performance goal

If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?

We’ve seen cross-functional teams with members who refuse to acknowledge any point of view other than the one they see from their traditional silos. As you may know, that’s a recipe for disaster. After all, the whole is only better than the sum of the parts if everything’s moving in the right direction! To ensure team effectiveness, you’ll need to clarify the deliverables that are linked to outcomes of team activities. Again, don’t just lecture about it; discuss it with the team.

As you bring together people with unique capabilities and experiences, they’re likely to have different perspectives. Without establishing interdependencies, you may find that the whole is actually smaller than the parts when team members are fixed on their own tasks. This can negatively impact delivery sequence, timing and quality control.

Therefore, revisit team goals frequently to:

Keep them meaningful. It can be tempting for team members to concentrate only on their individual tasks and challenges.

Keep people’s heads out of the sand and aware of what matters to the team as a whole. This drives performance toward the desired outcome, and enables adjustment of goals, timing or resources needed for success.

4. The absence of a decision-making process

It is important to create an environment that allows team members to voice their opinions in an open & honest manner.

If a team leader doesn’t spend enough time framing problems, the team will lack direction. This means soliciting the perspective of individual members and stepping through the team’s interdependent activities to identify potential challenges and solutions.

Again, you don’t need to establish a truly democratic process. But you do need every team member to participate. You will need to make difficult decisions at times. You will also be called upon to break ties and settle differences between team members while at the same time keeping everyone motivated and on board. The most important thing you can do is to create an environment that allows team members to voice their opinions in an open and honest manner. Get all sides of the story, and then weigh these arguments to make a decision that is in the best interest of the team.

To do this in a fair and consistent manner, you should establish data and metrics to help you make decisions more objectively, and share those metrics with the team.

This will help to diffuse emotions. And it will serve as a testing platform to explore disparate ideas and make informed decisions.

5. Failure to establish appropriate norms

A certain amount of conflict is healthy.

Executives aren’t necessarily content experts. Your team could have a C-suite sponsor who isn’t a subject-matter authority. Leaders need honest feedback. The communication channels must be wide open. Members shouldn’t view you as a senior executive, but as a facilitator. Spell that out. Describe your role in team terms. As the leader, your job is to focus and motivate—and at times to make tough decisions. Let everyone know you don’t have all the answers and that you’ll look to the team’s collective expertise.

A certain amount of conflict is healthy. It demonstrates that people care about the project. Tolerating dissent allows people to be honest, and it puts the team’s interests above the interests of individual members. To find the right balance:

Encourage collaboration and educated risk-taking.

Set the right tone and the right reward structure that prompts everyone to contribute.

Let people know that there may be some degree of ambiguity and that testing different approaches and taking smart risks is necessary for achieving the best result. This means that the answer will not always be clear and that not all efforts will result in immediate success.

Most importantly, you should use failure as an opportunity to dig deeper toward a solution.

6. Weak communication channels

There’s no substitute for understanding the innate behaviors of your team members.

We recommend assessing team members in order to understand their individual communication styles. You’ll want to make space for different kinds of conversations and participatory approaches. Without an objective assessment of how individual team members communicate, collaborate, learn and solve problems, how can you facilitate the best possible communications?

There’s no substitute for understanding the innate behaviors of your team members. This knowledge will provide you with a better understanding of their individual styles. It is also important to understand how this impacts communication among team members, and it enables you to anticipate sources of conflict or other challenges. This is especially true when dealing with remote or virtual team members.

Encourage active listening and ensure influence based on task-relevant knowledge rather than on status or personal dominance.

Apply your skills as a leader and facilitator to moderate the group and ensure that people have adequate opportunities to contribute.

This goes back to establishing norms and rules of engagement, and enforcing these rules when necessary. When you form a team, you might not know everyone on it. You’ll want to get to know each member. A formal assessment of skills and strengths is an effective, time-tested method.

7. Insensitivity to diversity

Diverse viewpoints can lead a team to better problem-solving.

In addition to helping leadership understand individual work styles, assessments also help team members appreciate the impact that their own styles have on others. Diverse viewpoints can lead a team to better problem-solving and superior solutions in the same way that diverse cultures can lead an organization to a deeper understanding of complex global issues.

In our practice, we help leaders develop strategies for embracing diversity. It can be difficult to initiate diversity discussions, especially among members of multicultural teams. But it’s necessary for leaders to talk with members about how diversity can affect participation.

Diversity touches on issues beyond race and gender:

You may have team members for whom English is a second language. You’ll need to ensure they have opportunities to make their points.

You may have members in far-flung time zones. Most of us are less effective at two o’clock in the morning than at two o’clock in the afternoon. That’s why some teams have platforms for asynchronous communication—so that members can participate in a time-zone friendly manner.

Establish norms and enforce the rules. For example, discrimination on the basis of race, gender, lifestyle, national origin or religion must be dealt with immediately and decisively.

Summary

We believe that “wholes” don’t become better than the sum of their parts by accident. Creating a team that exceeds the capabilities of its individual members requires commitment, planning and time.

When a team comes together, the positive effects ripple throughout the organization:

Managers who aren’t on the team may have to sacrifice their best people to it. They should know what the team is about and how its efforts will benefit the entire organization.

Co-workers may be asked to shoulder additional responsibilities while their peers serve on the team. This can lead to resentments. That’s why even non-members need to understand the team’s mission and how it will ultimately affect them.

People from different levels of the organization may feel confused by a new reporting structure or chain of command. Never assume they’ll figure it out for themselves. That can stifle dissent and cripple the robust debate that is sometimes necessary for a breakthrough.

Comprised of talented individuals from all levels, a diversity of viewpoints, a range of expertise and a balance of personalities, high-performance teams are well-integrated into their organizations. Members know their own responsibilities, but they also understand the team’s goals, its decision-making processes and its rules of operation.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/avoiding-7-big-teambuilding-blunders/feed/3What Gets Your Attention …?http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/attention/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/attention/#commentsMon, 15 Apr 2013 17:44:13 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=933The other day I was talking with my mentor and he asked an interesting (I thought) question. “What does EffortlessHR offer a CEO that would make them want to use your product?” I, of course, went through all the benefits and features of EffortlessHR (which I can also recite for you if you don’t know [...]

]]>The other day I was talking with my mentor and he asked an interesting (I thought) question. “What does EffortlessHR offer a CEO that would make them want to use your product?”

I, of course, went through all the benefits and features of EffortlessHR (which I can also recite for you if you don’t know what they are), but it made me stop and think – what is it that the busy CEO/Owner of a company is looking for in any program or service? How do you get their attention and make them want to learn more?

Let’s face it – there are a lot of products and services out there and more are available every day. So, how do we make ourselves stand out or above all the others? Is it timing? Is it luck? Is it marketing? It probably is a bit of each of these three issues. But, I think there are some other pieces to the answer.

Solution – does my/your product provide a solution? According to the dictionary, a solution is the act of solving a problem or answering a question. I look at EffortlessHR and I believe that we do provide a solution. The problem may be too many spreadsheets, or personnel files disorganized or incorrectly filed. A question might be about what the laws or regulations are in a state regarding any number of subjects that impact a business and the employees of that business. So, if a busy CEO needed a solution to those problems, I think we could provide a Solution.

Integration – does my/your product or service integrate with the workings of the busy CEO and his or her company? The definition of Integration is the act or process of making whole or entire; the process of fitting into a community. EffortlessHR is a standalone HR program that can fit a growing company’s HR needs. You can have a solution, but if it doesn’t fit the company values and infrastructure, integration may not happen.

Ease of Use – is my/your product or service easy to implement and use? This step is defined as the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. EffortlessHR provides a basic platform that is easy to implement (within 30 minutes you can be up and running) and easy to navigate (Quick Starts and clean, clear functionality). Many products or services have so many moving parts and sections that the user gets tired of trying to use it effectively. Remember the “some assembly required”? Your Solution, in order to effectively integrate, must be Easy to Use.

Timely – is my/your product or service timely? Timely means that this is an opportune time to use it or has appeared at the right time and place. EffortlessHR is a timely product because there are over 6,000,000 small businesses in the USA that are looking for help in dealing with HR issues, employment laws and regulations, and the multitude of issues facing employers. Maybe you are looking at an audit by the Wage and Hour Division for how you have categorized your employees or about overtime pay so you are looking for answers. If all is going smoothly, you are not looking for my product, but at the timeliness of a different product or service.

There probably are other answers. I am sure my Mentor asked the question to get me to think of those other answers – I will send him this and see what he says.

In the meantime, I feel pretty good that I have come up with 4 things a busy CEO may look for in a product or service. Now, I have to make sure EffortlessHR can provide a Solution, that is Integrated in a Easy to Use methodology and is Timely to the client’s needs.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/attention/feed/1HR Practices – Do You Have Zombies in Your Office?http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/hr-practices-zombies-office/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/hr-practices-zombies-office/#commentsFri, 29 Mar 2013 18:52:40 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=928A hit show (just finishing up their 3rd season) is “The Walking Dead”, about a zombie apocalypse. Whether or not you have ever watched it or heard of it, the show is scary and if you put the concept into your office, it can be REALLY frightening. Do you know if you have ‘real-life zombies [...]

]]>A hit show (just finishing up their 3rd season) is “The Walking Dead”, about a zombie apocalypse. Whether or not you have ever watched it or heard of it, the show is scary and if you put the concept into your office, it can be REALLY frightening. Do you know if you have ‘real-life zombies and ghosts’ walking around your office on a daily basis?

We all like a good scary movie every now and then, but nothing is scarier than hiring someone who appears to be perfect for the job, and then finding out quickly that he or she is a nightmare. Every day we see organizations use scary hiring practices!

Why should you be spooked out by scary hiring practices? Consider what these can do to a company:

Scary hires drive up turnover.
There are all sorts of causes for high turnover, but one big culprit is stress. In fact, 40 percent of all job turnover is due to stress. Guess what causes stress? It happens most when the person does not fit their job, their manager, or the organization’s culture.

Scary hires drag down productivity.
Everyone suffers when workers have to cover for a co-worker that can’t or won’t do their job properly. The competent workers become distracted and disillusioned and the incompetent workers cause havoc by making mistakes, falling behind and draining managers who don’t trust them to produce.

Scary hires cost hard dollars.
Replacing the average employee will run you about 25% of their annual salary. Consider the costs of recruiting, interviewing, travel and onboarding. These are all replacement costs, as well as lost time on the job, either when it was vacant or when someone had to let other tasks go to train the new employee.

Scary hires cause collateral damage.
What about other costs? Organizations spend billions on workers compensation claims. As experts note, vastly more money goes to existing claims than to preventing the problems in the first place. What if someone in your organization was in charge of making sure all equipment fit the job and the workers, that everything was working correctly, and that all workers knew how to use the equipment efficiently and safely? These all sound like easy fixes, but someone in your company has to keep his eye on the detail.

So what can an organization do to prevent scary hiring? The best organizations have a solid hiring process in place and they follow that process with every candidate. They use behavioral and skill assessments to provide consistent, objective information on the candidate and reports to help managers better interview and select the right person.
10 Scary Hiring Practices to Avoid

4. Failing to check references and other information on resume or application

5. Talking too much and failing to listen

6. Posing questions that require only yes/no answers

7. Hiring based on your comfort zone rather than candidate’s qualifications

8. Searching in too small of a pond

9. Delay in hiring after you find the best candidate

10. Offering a job based only on gut instincts

Remember, the fear of the unknown is something best enjoyed at the movies or on TV. In real life, you want to know what your organization faces. Don’t hire zombies, ghosts and ghouls! The workers you hire and develop today can minimize the uncertainties of tomorrow.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/hr-practices-zombies-office/feed/6The Best WordPress Anti-Spam Plugins for 2012-2013http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/best-wordpress-antispam-plugins-2012-2013/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/best-wordpress-antispam-plugins-2012-2013/#commentsWed, 19 Dec 2012 13:00:10 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=897I’ m sure that there are plenty of posts on this topic, but we have had first-hand experience for several years in dealing with comment spammers. Each of the plugins below are in use by the EffortlessHR Blog and they all work in uniquely different ways to stop bots and spammers dead in their tracks. Today [...]

I’ m sure that there are plenty of posts on this topic, but we have had first-hand experience for several years in dealing with comment spammers. Each of the plugins below are in use by the EffortlessHR Blog and they all work in uniquely different ways to stop bots and spammers dead in their tracks. Today we are going to share our winning combination, in order of importance:

G.A.S.P. (GrowMap Anti Spam Plugin)

This plugin also comes installed with CommentLuv Premium. It’s very simple in design and adds a checkbox to “Confirm you are NOT a spammer” to your comment form. It also performs some validation and limits the maximum number of links that can be present in comment text. It can also enforce that the user is on the page for a certain amount of time before leaving a comment.

It is extremely effective at preventing automated spam.

Stop Spammer Registrations Plugin

I know what you are thinking.. Registrations? This plugin could use a new name, but there is no arguing with how effective it is, and contends with G.A.S.P. as being the best plugin. I just looked at my statistic screen for the plugin and saw this message — “Stop Spammers has stopped 66668 spammers since installation” — that should explain how great it is.

This plugin checks against StopForumSpam, Project Honeypot and BotScout to to prevent spammers from registering or making comments. The Stop Spammer Registrations plugin works by checking the IP address, email and user id of anyone who tries to register, login, or leave a comment. This effectively blocks spammers who try to register on blogs or leave spam. It checks a users credentials against up to three databases: Stop Forum Spam, Project Honeypot, and BotScout. Optionally checks against Akismet for Logins and Registrations.

Akismet

Akismet is what kicks in if/when a comment makes it past the other plugins, which does happen.

It performs further analysis on the comment information and visitor to determine if the post is legitimate.

There you have it, simple and easy. With this combination, we very rarely have to moderate or flag comments as spam. Almost all comments that make it through are legitimate and these plugins work in ways that result in very few false positives.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/best-wordpress-antispam-plugins-2012-2013/feed/11How to Choose Professional Organizations to Joinhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/choose-professional-organizations-join/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/choose-professional-organizations-join/#commentsTue, 04 Dec 2012 17:43:11 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=769In these challenging times when every dollar spent must be a wise investment, one of those decisions is where you should spend both time and money in terms of business development. One thing is for sure, you will need to contribute in order to gain. If you join a networking group thinking I’ll just attend [...]

In these challenging times when every dollar spent must be a wise investment, one of those decisions is where you should spend both time and money in terms of business development. One thing is for sure, you will need to contribute in order to gain. If you join a networking group thinking I’ll just attend and business will come my way, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

You will get out of a professional organization what you put into it. Have a plan when you attend the various events on who you want to meet. If there is a directory or listing of the members, identify at least 5 new prospects you would like to meet that either can directly use your services or can be a conduit to these prospects. Oftentimes, these include CPAs, attorneys, etc. You will be far more effective with this targeted marketing approach.

Next, consider joining a committee. This is where the time as well as the money comes in. Determine how much time you have to donate to serving on a committee. Also, choose one that is a personal interest of yours, or one that your business will can benefit from. It may also be one that has some members on it that you would like to get to know better. And one last thought, consider how much visibility you can see from participating.

There are three benefits you can see from being on a committee:

Have more one on one experiences with other members because it will be a smaller group.

You will be recognized for your contributions.

The members will readily see how you function in this environment and will ultimately recognize that you are someone they would like to do business with based on your contributions.

In selecting the organization(s) consider if the members are those who would need your product/services. Your ROI (Return on Investment) generally isn’t seen after just attending a couple of meetings (although it has certainly happened). You need to make a commitment and after participating, you will then reap the rewards.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/choose-professional-organizations-join/feed/4Suffusion theme, CommentLuv Premium, live chat, oh my.http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/suffusion-commentluv-premium-live-chat/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/suffusion-commentluv-premium-live-chat/#commentsThu, 15 Nov 2012 15:17:12 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=880New Blog Theme After what seems like forever, the EffortlessHR blog has a new theme (Suffusion). For your enjoyment and to be forever archive, the blog looked like this before: CommentLuv Premium If you don’t know what CommentLuv is, then you are in for a treat. To keep it short: each time you comment, you [...]

New Blog Theme

After what seems like forever, the EffortlessHR blog has a new theme (Suffusion). For your enjoyment and to be forever archive, the blog looked like this before:

Old EffortlessHR Blog Theme

CommentLuv Premium

If you don’t know what CommentLuv is, then you are in for a treat. To keep it short: each time you comment, you can choose to link directly to one of YOUR blog posts. This is great for SEO and really encourages discussion. Since we love spreading the love around, if you Tweet, Like on Facebook, or Google +1 the post, your link will also be dofollow (followed by search engines — a good thing). An example of CommentLuv Premium is below:

CommentLuv Premium

Live Chat

For those of you that don’t know. EffortlessHR provides online HR software that is tailored toward start-ups, small business, and likely — your business. Thanks to Plupper, we are now providing free chat on our sales site. It is meant for sales primarily, but we won’t turn away a good technical question or suggestion. And the best part is that the button already matches the site colors.

Live Chat Button

And more

We know. It’s been a while since blog posts have gone out on any type of regular schedule. We intend to change that and make this blog one of the best informational HR blogs on the web. If you have any suggestions for posts, content, or even if you want to be a guest blogger, just drop us a comment.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/suffusion-commentluv-premium-live-chat/feed/6EffortlessHR Announces an Affinity Agreement with Tucson Metro Chamberhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/effortlesshr-announces-affinity-agreement-tucson-metro-chamber/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/effortlesshr-announces-affinity-agreement-tucson-metro-chamber/#commentsFri, 07 Sep 2012 19:35:26 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=860Tucson, AZ – September 1, 2012 – In response to the growing need of small to mid-sized businesses, EffortlessHR and the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce have entered an Affinity Agreement. The Agreement will offer Chamber member’s access to an affordable and user-friendly Human Resource Information System (EffortlessHR) at a discount to members only. Lola [...]

]]>Tucson, AZ – September 1, 2012 – In response to the growing need of small to mid-sized businesses, EffortlessHR and the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce have entered an Affinity Agreement. The Agreement will offer Chamber member’s access to an affordable and user-friendly Human Resource Information System (EffortlessHR) at a discount to members only.

Lola Kakes, CEO and Founder of EffortlessHR stated, “We are very excited about this Affinity Agreement with the Chamber and believe it will provide an additional tool for the busy business owner to better manage and grow their business. It shows how active the Chamber is in providing additional resources for their members and we are proud to be affiliated with them in this endeavor.”

“Winging it with human resource policies and practices is a surefire way to end up in a courtroom,” says Chamber President & CEO Mike Varney. “There are just too many laws to keep straight. Staying in compliance is not an option. The Chamber’s partnership with EffortlessHR makes it possible for even the smallest company to have first rate HR resources like employee handbooks. EffortlessHR offers all of the benefits of an HR manager for the price of an hour or two with an attorney.”

The Tucson Metro Chamber is a membership-based business advocacy and networking organization that represents more than 1,350 businesses, employing more than 105,000 employees in Tucson and Pima County. Small business makes up approximately 85 percent of Chamber membership, which mirrors the overall Tucson area business community.

EffortlessHR is an Internet based Human Resource program built specifically for small and mid-sized businesses who are looking for an easy to use and affordable way to set up and manage their employees. EffortlessHR’s services are designed to help the busy small business owner better organize and communicate with their employees. With the impressive number of new employment laws and regulations that businesses now must understand and follow, a professional compliance company like EffortlessHR is absolutely essential to provide guidance and corporate assistance 24-hours every day.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/effortlesshr-announces-affinity-agreement-tucson-metro-chamber/feed/0Make the Right Decision! – Exempt vs Non-Exempt vs Independent Contractorhttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/decision-exempt-nonexempt-independent-contractor/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/decision-exempt-nonexempt-independent-contractor/#commentsFri, 07 Sep 2012 19:23:02 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=843Employers are always looking for ways to cut costs. Be aware, however, that it can be easy to make risky decisions on how to classify your employees. Whether it is with existing employees or additions to staff, be sure you are making informed decisions on what category your employees should be in and why. We [...]

]]>Employers are always looking for ways to cut costs. Be aware, however, that it can be easy to make risky decisions on how to classify your employees. Whether it is with existing employees or additions to staff, be sure you are making informed decisions on what category your employees should be in and why.

We understand that with these challenging times, business owners try to find as many ways as possible to control costs. Many are not aware that there are risks in making the wrong decision, even if it is out of “ignorance”. We all know that when it comes to the law, ignorance is no defense.

Employers look at the rising cost of health benefits, coupled with high taxes, and find it is tempting to think that perhaps you should convert your employees to non-exempt or independent contractors and cut some expenses. Be aware, however, there are strict rules about what an exempt employee is and what a non-exempt employee is and what constitutes an independent contractor/employee.

Either in the hiring process or in reviewing your current employees, you need to determine the exempt or non-exempt status of the position. The Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) provides the regulations that inform employers about wage and hours, and most specifically the FLSA regulates the status of employees and their availability to receive or not receive overtime pay. Exempt employees are exempt from the federal and state laws governing, among other things, overtime pay, minimum wages, and timekeeping. An employee is presumed to be non-exempt unless the employer can demonstrate that the employee’s job duties and pay meet certain legally defined standards. Such issues as number of hours worked, union membership, or job title do not resolve the determination of exempt/non-exempt status.

Improper classification of exempt and non-exempt employees is common and can be very significant and costly. For example, an employee who would be correctly classified as exempt, and therefore ineligible for overtime, may be erroneously classified as non-exempt and receive overtime pay unnecessarily. Conversely, improperly classifying employees as exempt, and therefore denying overtime pay, can result in significant penalties and fines.

Once you have established whether an employee is exempt or non-exempt, you can determine the method of pay – either hourly or salaried. You can then look at the design of your compensation program and determine where you are in the process and what you need to do next.

Note: Classifying your employees in the correct category – exempt or non-exempt – is an important step in the hiring and compliance process. Don’t declare an employee exempt if they are truly non-exempt. If they are entitled to overtime pay, you are responsible to pay them. A poorly or incorrectly paid employee is an unhappy employee and is much more likely to call the Wage and Hour Dept. of the Department of Labor.

Take the time to review and see if you have the right employee makeup in your company in terms of exempt and non-exempt and be sure you follow these rules when hiring.

Another thought is that if you need a worker only on a “sometimes” basis or a specific project, an independent contractor could work for you. Again, there are rules, but this may be a solution that could work. The determination is complex, but is essentially made by examining the right to control how, when, and where the person performs services. It is not based on how the person is paid, how often the person is paid, or whether the person works part-time or full-time. There are three basic areas which determine employment status:

Behavioral control – who controls when the individual works – you or the person.

Financial control – usually the individual has a contract for a specific project with timelines and payment schedules defined.

Relationship of the parties – if you (the employer) provides the work space, the tools to do the job, the resources in your place of business, and established the hours to work, the individual is most likely an employee – not an independent contractor. Look at what your relationship is with the person.

You can find more information on the DOL website and through a subscription to EffortlessHR, our internet based HRIS system. We would like you to make good choices and keep your company safe and efficient.

]]>http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/decision-exempt-nonexempt-independent-contractor/feed/2Finding Hidden Treasures – Mining for Employee Competencieshttp://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/finding-hidden-treasures-mining-employee-competencies/
http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/finding-hidden-treasures-mining-employee-competencies/#commentsTue, 14 Aug 2012 15:17:12 +0000http://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/?p=638Do you really know what your employee brings to the workplace? Oh, you may know that they have the knowledge and skills needed to get the job done in an effective and efficient manner. But, do you know the “soft” skills or attributes they bring that could be just as important as the “hard” skills [...]

]]>Do you really know what your employee brings to the workplace? Oh, you may know that they have the knowledge and skills needed to get the job done in an effective and efficient manner. But, do you know the “soft” skills or attributes they bring that could be just as important as the “hard” skills they offer.

What are competencies? They could be a personal trait or an observable aspect of performance. Competencies represent the behavioral, technical, and motivational requirements for successful performance in a given role or job. A competency is usually defined as a grouping of related:

Behaviors

Activities

Types of knowledge

Technical skills, or

Motivations

So, why are competencies important? They can give us a better understanding of why an individual may or may not do as well on a project or why or why not objectives are not met. They provide a basis for coaching the employee on how to improve performance. The more an employer understands the personal strengths and motivation of their employees, the better “fit” there is in the job. Identifying the needed competencies make recruiting easier and can help in coaching and training employees.

The hard skills and knowledge can be fairly easy to assess and identify and can be developed. Attitude and personal characteristics are harder to identify or develop, but are equally important in demonstrating a needed competency in a position. For example, functional requirements might be identified as the technical needs – the things that are specific to a particular job. Behavioral are the soft skill requirements that make a person successful in their position.

If you think of your “star” employee, what competencies have they brought to the job that makes them more successful than another person in the same position? What do they do differently that makes them special? What competencies do they have that can be seen, heard, or documented by colleagues and clients? Those are the competencies you might want to look for in other candidates or employees.

I believe there are five major competencies that are important in the workplace and include several sub-categories:

1. Intellectual

Analytical

Creative

Problem Solving

Project Management

Technical

2. Interpersonal

Customer Service

Communication

i. Oral

ii. Written

Teamwork

3. Leadership

Visionary

Change management

Delegation

Leading others

Managing and/or developing others

4. Organization

Business Acumen

Cost Consciousness

Diversity

Ethics

Organizational Support

Strategic Thinking

5. Self-Management

Judgment

Motivation

Planning/Organizing

Professionalism

Dependability

Initiative

Innovative

I am sure there are many more that you could list. The bottom line is, if we have a better understanding of the competencies needed for a position or brought to us by an individual, we have a better chance of making the job successful and will help you identify the type of person you want on your team. Finding that special person makes the work easier, more enjoyable, and less stressful.